[Rickypt]

Well this thread is probably going to play out the same as the ching-chong thread. Basically a bunch of white people talking about how Imus' comment was funny, or meant in jest, or he's not really a racist, or how come white people can be made fun of but not black people. Undoubtedly someone will talk about how they are tired of "political correctness". In a more diverse discussion board, the conversation would go in a much different direction and probably be much more interesting.

I think the conversation is impossible to have without putting it into context; i.e., the state of race relations in the U.S., the power dynamics involved, the disproportionate impact of racially-based insults on people of color than on white people, etc.

As for the "punishment", I think a two-week suspension is lame. Either you believe his comments were unfitting of someone you want representing your station and you fire him, or you defend him and let him stay, or you don't really defend him but let him stay in the interest of freedom of speech. A "suspension" does absolutely nothing and I find it to be a pathetic way of handing this situation.

If I were in charge, I would have canned his ass. I wouldn't want to pay anyone who thinks that using racially and misogynistic terms to describe a successful women's sports team is good radio. Freedom of speech doesn't mean you have a right to be paid by others to spew your speech.

I'm rather glad that all of these events have happened recently because it really shows how far we have to go on fighting racism.